To Be Whole Again
by demise of my sanity
Summary: Vanessa's life has shattered before her eyes. Broken and hurting Batman helps her one night in the Narrows. Bruce Wayne is captivated by this broken girl and will save her no matter what. But sometimes you need more than love. Warning contains self harm.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Batman and respective characters

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Shadows concealed the lump of rags on the footpath. Every so often sobs could be heard and the little lump would shake slightly before quietening down again. She was sure to be quiet. Being quiet didn't draw attention and no attention meant not being hurt.

Finally the little lump started to move. Limbs were untucked and hair was pulled back revealing a petite young woman with red swollen eyes and a running nose. With a sigh she heaved herself up of the ground and started walking. She didn't know where she was going; she didn't care.

Her world had shattered tonight, her best friend abused her and now she was alone. With no home to go to, and no family; she sure as hell wasn't going to go crawling back to him and ask for forgiveness; she was stronger than that. She wasn't about to become one of those women who allowed their boyfriends to hit them and abuse them. She was brought up to think for herself.

But tonight was her breaking point. The one solid being had now turned against her in an effort to get closer to her; he had all but pushed her away. She wasn't coming back.

Thoughts were racing through her head, she was becoming more agitated and needing a release. She thrust back the sleeve on her left arm. Stopping in the shadows she leaned against a grimy brick wall and breathed loudly trying to get herself under control. With a shaky hand she brought her pocket knife out of her pocket and flicked it open quickly. It had to be done; it was like a drug to her. With a few quick breaths she got to work.

She brought the blade to the now bare skin of her left arm; she started to carve. Long ribbons of blood started to seep out of the downward cuts she was making. The smell of fresh blood; rust and salt invaded her senses. Closing her eyes she leaned shakily against the wall and breathed. It was starting to work. But it wasn't enough. A few cuts later her arm was covered with blood that rolled down to her bruised wrists.

With a sob she put the knife away; hating how these urges controlled her. Sinking down to her knees she reached in to her pocket and brought out a wad of tissues. Carefully she dabbed the blood and got a lot of it away before quickly pulling her sleeve back down. She knew the blood would soak through; but she was done caring now.

Her eyes weren't obeying her. They kept closing no matter how hard she tried to keep them open. Pulling her arms around her knees and snuggling into her long coat; she finally let her body rest.

As she fell asleep she wasn't aware of the eyes above that had followed her and watched the whole time.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Her eyes had only been closed briefly before she found herself shaken gently awake. In any other normal circumstances she would have been suspicious and crawled away from this new presence. But her eyes were so heavy and she was so tired. So when the voice gently asked her to stand up; she obeyed. Standing shakily on her thin legs she fell back suddenly. Before she could hit the ground she was swept up into the arms of the person. 'No not just any person' she told herself. Her 'rescuer'; her knight in shining armour. With this last thought she dozed off again.

He watched as she once again fell asleep. Only; this time in his arms. She turned closer into him as he took off into the night towards the Tumbler.

Reaching the tank quickly, he placed her limp form in the passenger seat and laid her head back gently. He entered around the other side and closed the tumbler's top, encasing them both in darkness.

That night he drove carefully back to his temporary hideout, careful not rouse her or shake her awake with his crazy driving.

Arriving at his hideout and parking the car, he quickly called Alfred and told him not to wait up for him tonight; he wasn't going home. With that business out of the way; he took of his heavy armour and set off to the parked tank in only his sweat pants.

He reached down into the armoured car and brought out her limp form. Wrapping his arms around her carefully he carried her over to his work bench. Laying her body out carefully along the stainless steel bench he contemplated the situation he had just got himself into. He knew that just taking her off the street was rash; he knew that there were other places he could have taken her; the hospital or a homeless shelter for instance. But something about this girl no woman he corrected himself seeing the curve of her breasts her tight sweater created.

Pushing back that area of thought he began to free her arm of the blood soaked sleeve. With careful movements he cut the whole sleeve off and peeled the soaked fabric off. He watched her face for any sign of pain but she was gone to far to be waking up any time soon. He started to soak some sterile swads with water mixed with iodine. Gently washing away her blood with the wet swads he began to think again.

This really had been the most inappropriate decision he had ever made and Alfred would certainly be very angry with him. But after seeing her crying stumbling form walk the Narrows and watching the blood flow from her arm; he felt that he could relate to her. They were both broken and maybe, somehow they could both heal each other.

With her arm all cleaned up and bandaged he set about removing her wet and bloodied leggings. Heaving a sigh of relief when he saw she was wearing underwear he picked her up tenderly and carried her to the small twin bed he had put there for nights like these when he didn't return home. He lay her down carefully on her back and positioned her arm so it would not hurt her if she woke quickly. He lay down next to her careful not be to close as she would probably freak out when she woke up.

All night he lay on his side watching her. Finally it was morning and he saw her stirring, but before he could leap out of the bed a pair of blue green eyes snapped open and locked with his own.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_All night he lay on his side watching her. Finally it was morning and he saw her stirring but before he could leap out of the bed a pair of blue green eyes snapped open and locked with his own._

"Ahhhh! Rapist, get away from me!" screamed the girl as she jumped out of bed and fell onto the ground. She slid further and further away across the concrete floor as Bruce came yelling closer.

"Stop! I'm not going to hurt you!" he tried to tell her as he approached her slowly until he was only metres away from the wall the wall she had backed herself against. Her eyes showed her panic and fear. He was only a metre away when he knelt down to her level so he could look her in the eyes. "Don't be afraid of me, please" She was shaking slightly and her eyes were now filled with tears

"Please don't hurt me! Please!" she pleaded with him as her tears ran down her bruised cheeks. His eyes pleaded with her, trying to show he meant her no harm. There was something in those deep brown eyes of his that calmed her. Ever so slowly she nodded her head; showing him that she trusted him. Slightly warily she took in the man in front of her. He wore no shirt, only a pair of grey sweat pants. He had hard chiselled abs and shoulders. There were bruises on his stomach and arms and a few knife wounds. He was clearly a fighter but she was drawn back to those mesmerising eyes of his. Something in them made her wonder if he was lonely and hurt. Maybe he had been through the same things as she. "Who are you?" the girl whispered quietly. She recognised his face from the TV, but couldn't think of who he was.

"My name is Bruce Wayne" he replied in an equally quiet tone. He took in her battered appearance for the second time today. It was easier to see all her features now that she was crouching in front of him instead of lying next to him. Her frame was petite and her skin was a soft tan. She looked like a broken doll with her dark brown hair and big teary eyes that looked into his own; a strange mix of blue and green. Her nose was somewhat small and pert. And she had kissable lips that were the colour of pink roses. In short she was beautiful. She could have been a model for all he knew. But the bruises on her face and around her neck told him differently. And the cuts on her arm were not just made today. Her hands and arm showed old faded white scars.

Bruce reached closer slowly with his hand and stroked her face. "Who did this to you?" he whispered. She reached up and removed his hand from her face but didn't let go of it but held it in her lap.

"My friend" she replied simply. She saw the anger in his eyes but she was not afraid. It wasn't the anger she saw in Dean's eyes. This man 'Bruce Wayne' was being protective of her. And that in itself was a small relief. "Where am I?" she whispered as she looked warily behind him.

"What it that?" came the small whisper as she locked eyes with the Tumbler. Looking from the Tumbler and Bruce it made a connection in her mind. "Y-your Batman!"


End file.
